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University of Mississippi University of Mississippi
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Honors Theses Honors College (Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College)
2019
A Comprehensive Analysis of Cases in Financial Accounting A Comprehensive Analysis of Cases in Financial Accounting
Anna Lapayeva University of Mississippi
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A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF CASES IN FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING
by
Anna Lapayeva
A thesis is submitted to the faculty of The University of Mississippi in partial fulfillment
of the requirements of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College.
Oxford
May 2019
Approved by
__________________________
Advisor: Dr. Victoria Dickinson
__________________________
Reader: Dean Mark Wilder
Abstract
The thesis constitutes a comprehensive analysis of various cases in financial accounting.
The topics included investment decisions, income statement, property, plant, and
equipment valuation, accounts receivable, allowance for doubtful accounts, research and
development, data analysis, interest bonds, stock and dividends, securities, income taxes,
and revenue recognition. The GAAP standards for the subjects include many options that
can be used, and accounting will be significantly different dependent on the choice the firm
will make. The research highlighted the respective differences in the methods and
thoroughly explained the reasonings behind the chosen methods in cases. Topics were
investigated over the course of two semesters, while attending a special course led by Dr.
Victoria Dickinson. Each case discusses a topic by using different public companies as an
example, which provides us with necessary background information to critically assess the
situation and to explain the underlying concepts to reasonably informed user. The cases
required different means of information gathering, but generally included references to the
available textbooks and books, as well as web sources and data bases available through the
university library. The data gathered assisted in the case analysis and helped to understand
more in the area of financial reporting. We were encouraged to use codification, laws, and
ratios to assist in the analysis. The case studies inspired us to acquire more knowledge on
different topics and gain some expertise in the application of concepts. From case to case
it can be clearly deduced how important is to understand the basics of each topic to be able
to navigate through more advanced topics in our college career.
Takeaways from the course
On average I spent four to ten hours a week over the course of the two semesters
working on the cases and drafting the thesis. The experience was invaluable because our
expertise was applied to real cases scenarios, allowing us to discuss topics more thoroughly
than we ever could in any other class. It taught us a great deal of self-management in the
areas of research and professional writing. To be concise, we adhered to the professional
formatting guidelines, presenting information as to a business official, or as we would have
to later in our career. We improved our understanding of the underlying accounting
principles and their application.
The course taught us how to navigate through the financial statements and how to
recognize what parts are important to users and why. We would go through the same steps
in the process as investors would and consider how to allocate resources between different
business options. Analysis of different business entities rewarded us with the understanding
how business operates, and its functions interact with each other.
We gained expertise in utilizing different financial ratios and can critically assess
the firm’s performance, relying on the financial metrics. The course highlighted the
importance of the trend analysis both across firms and over the time periods. We faced
the ambiguity of the financial metrics and can provide reasons for why that could be the
case. It was of a huge future benefit to look though all of them to determine which
numbers would be useful in calculations for ratios, because some of data could be
misleading for an inexperienced user.
Multiple cases involved scrutiny of the transaction history, which helped us to build
journal entries and T-accounts with much ease than before. It would help us in our future
career, because even though various applications track transaction history, it would be
impossible to draw any conclusions without complete understanding of how exactly
application records entries.
Now, going back to the first case of the course, I can clearly see how far I have
come in terms of understanding the details of various financial topics, for example, how
the timing and the creditworthiness of the debtors will affect the calculation of the bad debt
expense. After all, it would influence other elements as well, such as opinions of the users
of financial statements and future estimates of allowance for doubtful accounts. In another
case, it was important to note the relationship between total research and development costs
to net sales, and how the companies adjust the former according to the changes in the latter.
I think that research and development is crucial to many companies and understanding how
we treat them is essential for us to be able to work for the future clients.
To talk more about the estimates, it can be noted that financial users do not favor
relying on the estimates, so it is of the utmost importance to be able to be as specific as
possible when dealing with specific accounts. In the cases we learned that you must have
certain expertise to be able to operate such accounts. One of the most useful tools used
for grasping the concepts was building T-accounts with corresponding journal entries.
One of the cases involved explanation of an intermediate accounting problem to a
new student. Knowing how to break things down, and how to explain it to someone with
no background knowledge of it, helps to work on problem-solving skills and ability to
follow logical conclusions. This concept might be used for the future topics and applied
to different subjects in college.
Multiple cases offered us an insight in a technological side of the accounting world.
We know that the data and analytics became the essential part of any company, especially
those of accounting service providers. Data streams are constantly recorded and stored
away, but even though the information gathered is invaluable, there are few platforms that
can analyze it.
Other issues that we discussed was that the auditors have different opinions on the
matter of how to account for securities, which is why it is very important to have a clear
guidance and regulations in place. The cases helped us understand various reasonings
behind the classifications as well as ways to record significant events. To understand better,
we frequently consulted the codification and familiarized ourselves with different exempts
from it.
What is more, sales revenue as an essential part of any accounting cannot be
overlooked. Although not the only one, but maximizing sales and profit is one of the
main objectives of any company. In order to do strategic planning, it is important for a
firm to rely on reliable financial statements with accurate data. It is true that the more
complex company’s sales process is, the more difficult it is to choose accounting method,
but the case helped to investigate one of the more common situations.
To conclude, the investigation of the accounting topics in this course had tremendous
impact on me as a future professional, building the necessary foundation of knowledge
and skills.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page ............................................................................................................................. i
Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii
Takeaways from the Course............................................................................................... iii
Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... vi
Home Heaters, Inc .............................................................................................................. 1
Molson Coors Brewing Company .................................................................................... 11
Pearson .............................................................................................................................. 16
Solving Intermediate Problem .......................................................................................... 21
Palfinger AG ..................................................................................................................... 25
Volvo Group ..................................................................................................................... 30
Splunk ............................................................................................................................... 35
Rite Aid ............................................................................................................................. 41
Merck & Co ...................................................................................................................... 47
State Street Corporation .................................................................................................... 52
Zagg .................................................................................................................................. 58
Apple ................................................................................................................................. 66
2
Introduction.
This case provides financial information for the two following companies:
Glenwood Heating, Inc. and Eads Heaters, Inc. Operating in Colorado and selling the
same product, these two companies compete in the same field, which means the company
that performs better will be chosen for an investment. According to the analysis,
Glenwood appears to be the better company to invest in based on a careful consideration
of transactions, methods of operations, financial statements, and ratios.
It was important to consider which parts of the statements were valuable to the
investors, and this selection depended on the understanding of how business operates.
Personally, I believe that until a person will be involved in a company, he/she cannot
fully understand its management, and consequently its accounting. In the class, we do not
get the opportunity to apply knowledge to real cases, so this experience was valuable. To
finish the case, it was necessary for me to consult not only the books, but the internet, and
read the opinions of real investors, which let me understand how complex the process is.
It taught me the principles of investment, excel, official formatting, and auditing. I find
that case studying compliments greatly my Intermediate Accounting, Finance, and
Marketing classes. I view this case from a completely different angle now compared to
the time I tried to figure it out in class. After completing the case, I held more knowledge
about the investing decisions and sources I can use to make one. I plan to enhance this
knowledge by investigating following cases, which will help me not only in my classes,
but in a possible internship.
3
To start the analysis Figure 1-1 identifies several transactions that are true to both
Glenwood Heating, Inc., and Eads Heater, Inc. Trial balance is attached to the Figure 1-2
to confirm truthfully represented numbers.
Figure 1-1
Part A: Recording Basic Transactions
Assets = Liability + Equity____ Столбец1 Столбец2 Столбец3 Assets Столбец4 Столбец5 Столбец6 Liabilities Столбец7 Столбец8 Stockholders' EquityСтолбец9
CashAccounts
receivable Inventory Land Building Equipment
Accounts
Payable
Note
Payable
Interest
PayableCommon stock
Retained
earnings
No. 1 $160,000 $160,000
No. 2 400,000 $400,000
No. 3 -420,000 $70,000 $350,000
No. 4 -80,000 $80,000
No. 5 $239,800 $239,800
No. 6 $398,500
No. 7 299,100 -299,100
No. 8 -213,360 -213,360
No. 9 -41,000 -20,000 21,000
No. 10 -34,200
No. 11 -23,200 $23,200
No. 12 6,650
Figure 1-2 Столбец1 Столбец2 Столбец3
Trial Balance
Debits Credits
Cash $47,340
A/R 99,400
Inventory 239,800
Land 70,000
Building 350,000
Equipment 80,000
A/P $26,440
N/P 380,000
I/P 6,650
C/S 160,000
Div 23,200
Sales 398,500
Other Op 34,200
Int Exp 27,650
4
Figures 1-1 and 1-2 imply that the financial situation was exactly the same for two
companies before managers started recording entries. Afterwards, there were several
transactions that changed the course of companies’ development – different ways of
recording drastically changed the picture portrayed by the companies. Detailed review of
their impact on the financial situation of the companies is presented in the Figure 1-3 for
Glenwood Heating and in the Figure 1-4 for Eads Heaters. Figure 1-5 is the trial balance,
taking into consideration additional transactions.
To begin with, there was a debit of $99,400 to Accounts Receivable, but
managers estimated different percentage for uncollectible receivables. Allowance for Bad
Debt Expense accounts of Glenwood Heating, Inc. and Eads Heaters, Inc. were charged
$994 and $4,970 respectively. Next, companies have chosen their own method of
recording Cost of Goods Sold: Glenwood decided to use FIFO, while Eads opted for
LIFO. This decision reflected on Gross Profit as well, because it influences Cost of
Goods Sold. The difference of $11,800 was estimated in favor of Glenwood Heating, Inc
in terms of COGS. Depreciation method used was one of the long-term decisions that
significantly influenced expenses. Eads Heaters used straight-line depreciation for
building, but double-declining balance for delivery equipment, whereas Glenwood
Heating recorded all depreciation using the straight-line method. Glenwood Heating
finished year with only $19,000 in depreciation, compared to $41,500 in Eads Heaters’
account. Managers of the companies used different approaches, while acquiring
equipment for their companies. On one hand Glenwood made a riskier decision signing
an agreement to rent equipment without guarantee of the same cost for next year, but on
the other hand Eads’ managers invested in a capital lease agreement of $92,000. The
5
contract included eight percent interest rate, which raised total interest expense to
$35,010, when Glenwood managers recorded $27,650. The tax was estimated to be 25
percent of the income. According to the calculations Glenwood Heating paid $30,914 in
taxes. The tax expense for Eads equaled $23,505.
Figure 1-3: Glenwood Heating, Inc.
Part B: Recording Additional Information Столбец1 Столбец2 Столбец3 Столбец4 Столбец5 Столбец6 Столбец7 Столбец8 Столбец9 Столбец10
Transaction CashAccounts
Receivable
Allowance
for Bad
Debts
Inventory Land BuildingAcc Dep -
buildingEquipment
Acc Dep -
equipment
Balances: Part A $47,340 $99,400 $239,800 $70,000 $350,000 $80,000
Bad Debts $994
COGS -177,000
Depreciation
Building $10,000
Equipment $9,000
Equipment
Rental Payment-16,000
Income Tax -30,914
Balances $426 $99,400 $994 $62,800 $70,000 $350,000 $10,000 $80,000 $9,000
Figure 1-4: Eads Heaters, Inc.
Part B: Recording Additional information
Transaction CashAccounts
Receivable
Allowance
for Bad
Debts
Inventory Land BuildingAcc Dep -
buildingEquipment
Acc Dep -
equipment
Balances: Part A $47,340 $99,400 $239,800 $70,000 $350,000 $80,000
Bad Debts $4,970
COGS -188,800
Depreciation
Building $10,000
Equipment $20,000
Equipment Rental
Payment -16,000
Income Tax -23,505
Balances $7,835 $99,400 $4,970 $51,000 $70,000 $350,000 $10,000 $80,000 $20,000
6
Figure 1-5
Part B: Trial balances
Glenwood Heating, Inc. Eads Heaters, Inc. Столбец1 Debits Credits
Cash $426
A/R 99,400
Allowance for Bad
Debts $994
Inventory 62,800
Land 70,000
Building 350,000
Acc Dep - building10,000
Equipment 80,000
Acc Dep - equipment 9,000
A/P 26,440
Int/P 6,650
N/P 380,000
Coomon Stock 160,000
Dividends 23,200
Sales 398,500
Cost of Goods Sold 177,000
Other operating
expenses 34,200
Bad Debt exp 994
Dep Exp - building 10,000
Dep Exp - equipment 9,000
Rent Exp 16,000
Int Exp 27,650
Provision for income
tax 30,914
Total $991,584 $991,584
Column1 Dr. Cr.
Cash $7,835
A/R 99,400
Allowance for Bad
Debts $4,970
Inventory 51,000
Land 70,000
Building 350,000
Acc Dep - building
10,000
Equipment 80,000
Acc Dep - equipment 20,000
Leased Equipment 92,000
Acc Dep - leased
equipment 11,500
A/P 26,440
Int/P 6,650
N/P 380,000
Lease Payable 83,360
Coomon Stock 160,000
Dividends 23,200
Sales 398,500
Cost of Goods Sold 188,800
Other operating
expenses 34,200
Bad Debt Exp 4,970
Dep Exp - building 10,000
Dep Exp - equipment 20,000
Dep exp - leased
equipment 11,500
Rent Exp 0
Interest Exp 35,010
Provision for income
tax 23,505
Total $1,101,420 $1,101,420
7
Income Statements
Looking at the income statements, it is important to consider Sales Revenue, Cost of
Goods Sold, Operating Expenses, and Net Income. Figure 1-6 presents income statement for
each company.
Figure 1-6
GLENWOOD CO.
INCOME STATEMENT
FYE DECEMBER 31, 20X1
EADS CO.
INCOME STATEMENT
FYE DECEMBER 31, 20X1
Sales $398,500
Cost of goods sold $177,000
Gross Profit 221,500
Operating expenses
Bad Debt Exp 994
Dep - building 10,000
Dep - equipment 9,000
Rent Exp 16,000
Other oper exp 27,650
Interest Exp 34,200
Net Income before tax 123,656
Tax 30,914
Net Income $92,742
Sales $398,500
Cost of goods sold $188,800
Gross Profit 209,700
Operating expenses
Bad Debt Exp 4,970
Dep - building 10,000
Dep - equipment 20,000
Dep - leased equipment 11,500
Other Oper Exp 34,200
Int Exp 35,010
Net Income before tax 94,020
Tax 23,505
Net Income $70,515
Each company earned $398,500 in sales, but using different method of recording Cost of
Goods Sold, Glenwood Heating ended with a larger Gross Profit of $221,500, whereas Eads
Heaters performed slightly worse with just $209,700. It is notable that Glenwood Heating spent
$17,796 less on expenses than Eads Heaters, which speaks greatly about their management.
Finally, looking at Net Income, Glenwood positions itself as a more profitable organization with
8
$92,742. Eads Heaters reaches a Net Income of $70,515. Income, in turn, influenced the ending
balance of Retained Earnings, which is shown in Figure 1-7. Eads Heaters finished the period
with $207,315 in Total Equity, while Glenwood Heating ended up with $229,542.
Figure 1-7
GLENWOOD CO.
STATEMENT OF RETAINED EARNINGS
FYE DECEMBER 31, 20X1
EADS CO.
STATEMENT OF RETAINED EARNINGS
FYE DECEMBER 31, 20X1
Category Share Capital RE Total Equity
Beg Bal $160,000 $0 $160,000
NI 92,742
Div -23,200
End Bal $160,000 $69,542 $229,542
Category Share Capital RE Total Equity
Beg Bal $160,000 $0 $160,000
NI 70,515
Div -23,200
End Bal $160,000 $47,315 $207,315
Return on Equity was calculated to determine how much profit was generated with invested
money.
ROE = NI/Equity
Glenwood Heating, Inc.: 92,742/229,542 = 0.40
Eads Heaters, Inc.: 70,515/207,325 = 0.34
Calculations show that Glenwood Heating, Inc. has higher Return on Equity, which is, therefore,
a more attractive choice for investors, because they are potential shareholders
9
Balance Sheets
Balance sheets reflect the amounts of what company own and owe. At that point of time
Eads Heaters held more in both Assets and Liabilities as can be seen from Figure 1-8.
To be precise in the assumption which company could pay off the debt, Current Ratios
were calculated.
Current ratio = Current Assets/Current liabilities
Glenwood Heater, Inc.: $162,626/$33,090 = 4.91
Eads Heater, Inc.: $153,265/$33,090 = 4.63
From the ratios, it is evident that Glenwood Inc. has a better chance to fulfill their
obligations.
Conclusion
To conclude, Glenwood Heating, Inc. in comparison to Eads Heaters, Inc. is a more
attractive company for investment. It does not only have a higher Net Income, but a Current Ratio,
Retained Earnings, and Return on Equity, which will help company to continue perform profitably
in the market.
10
Figure 1-8
GLENWOOD CO.
BALANCE SHEET
AS OF DECEMBER 31, 20X1
EADS CO.
BALANCE SHEET
AS OF DECEMBER 31, 20X
Столбец1 Dr. Cr.
Assets
Current Assets:
Cash $426
Accounts Receivables 99,400
Allowance for Bad Debt -$994
Inventory 62,800Non-Current Assets
Building 350,000
Land 70,000
Equipment 80,000
Leased Equipment
Acc Dep - building -9,000
Acc Dep - equipment -10,000
Acc Dep - leased equipment
Total Assets $642,632
Liabilities
Accounts Payable 26,440
Interest Payable 6,650
Notes Payable 380,000
Lease Payable
Equity
Common Stock 160,000
Dividends 23,200
$328,958 $971,590
Total Liability + Equity $642,632
Assets Dr. Cr.
Current Assets:
Cash $7,835
Accounts Receivables 99,400
Allowance for Bad Debt -$4,970
Inventory 51,000
Non-Current AssetsBuilding 350,000Land 70,000
Equipment 80,000
Leased Equipment 92,000
Acc Dep - building -10,000
Acc Dep - equipment -20,000
Acc Dep - leased equipment -11,500
Total Assets $703,765
Liabilities
Accounts Payable 26,440
Interest Payable 6,650
Notes Payable 380,000
Lease Payable 83,360
Equity
Common Stock 160,000
Dividends 23,200
$351,185 $1,054,950
Total Liability + Equity $703,765
12
Introduction
The case presented financial statements for Molson Coors Brewin Company,
focusing our attention on the Income Statement. The major objectives were to teach us to
differentiate between various elements of the statement, their purpose and usefulness, as
well as to analyze the placement of accounts within the statement.
Solving of this case required careful research and proficiency in understanding
specific classifications. Thinking through the presented questions allowed me to perceive
accounting not as an exact science, but as something adaptable and versatile. Application
of different rules creates a conflict of how to best approach the statement. As a result,
investigating decisions, that Molson Coors made, helped me to see the reasoning behind
them. It is not a typical company, that is why not all the rules apply ordinarily.
a. The major elements of an Income Statement include Revenues, Expenses,
Gains, and Losses which are significant to investors and creditors in their decision
making. While sales, fees, interest, dividends, rents are typically assigned to
Revenues, as cost of goods sold, depreciation, interest, rent, salaries, wages, and
taxes to Expenses, it might not necessarily be true for every company. The
distinction between Revenues/Expenses and Gains/Losses lies in the company’s
set of operation and activities and its treatment of those.
b. «Classified» Income Statement also known as Multiple-step Income Statement
one of the formats GAAP requires companies to follow. Multiple-step Income
Statement is easier to understand and evaluate. It separates operating and
nonoperating activities as well as segregating income tax, discontinued
operations, noncontrolling interest, and earnings per share. This format includes
13
totals and subtotals for gross profit, income from operations, income before tax,
net income, earnings per share/net loss per share, making it possible to predict
future performance based on how successfully a business entity allocates its
resources. I believe that this statement is best characterized by one of the
fundamental enhancing qualities of the conceptual framework —
understandability.
c. Persistent income shows earnings that recur from period to period. The more
predictable the number is, the more risk-free a company will seem to investors,
and the better resources they will have at their disposal. Persistent income
indicates that the company is profitable and worth investing into.
d. Net Income found at the end of Income Statement does not necessarily report all
business activities, extraordinary gains and losses, and adjustments for prior
periods. The net impact of all the elements that affect equity excluding those
resulting from investment by owners and distributions to owners, can be found in
comprehensive income statement which refers to them as Other comprehensive
income.
e. Sales is all amount earned, while Net Sales excludes discounts, allowances, and
returns. Molson Coors reports these accounts separately. They have excise taxes
levied on their product’s shipment. Excise taxes are related to manufacturing
rather than selling, which is why these taxes are applied before Net Sales are
calculated. Molson Coors disclosed in the notes that Sales are stated net of
incentives, discounts, and returns. They do not show the adjustments made on the
income statement, because those are infrequent for their company. Molson Coors
14
lacks standard practice for returns, and treats discounts and allowances as a
reduction of sales.
f.
i. Special items are recorded in the Income Statement as an unexpected,
infrequent, and extraordinary gains or losses that are not likely to recur in
future periods. Special items listed by Molson Coors are employee-related
charges, impairment or asset abandonment chargers, unusual or infrequent
items, and termination fees and other gains/losses.
ii. According to a modified all-inclusive concept, companies report
separately following general categories: unusual and infrequent gains and
losses, discontinued operations, noncontrolling interest, and earnings per
share. Special items of Molson Coors fall into these categories; therefore,
they are shown on the income statement.
Inclusion of special items is a truthful representation of company’s
financial situation, and investors pay attention to them across periods. Molson
Coors discloses that they consider special items “not indicative of [their] current
operations”, and “not necessarily non-recurring”, so with a few exceptions I agree
with their placement on the income statement.
Most items listed, excluding termination fees and other gains/losses,
should be considered unusual and infrequent gains/losses. However, the
appropriate place for termination fees and other gains/losses would be in a
Discontinued operations section of the Income Statement.
15
g. Molson Coors does not report Other income and expense it under Income from
operations. It is charged to other Comprehensive income. It should not be placed
into the operating expenses as they are not associated with normal business
operations. When looking over operating expenses, managers seek to find way to
lower them, and both Other Income and Expense and Special Items account may
interfere with the decisions being made on a normal cycle of business operations.
h.
i. Comprehensive income equals $760.2 (Note that numbers are presented in
millions), while Net Income is $567.3; The difference is due to the Other
comprehensive income and noncontrolling interests.
ii. All of the items listed in Comprehensive Income have impact on the equity of
Molson Coors during current period of operations.
j.1 Effective tax rate = Income Tax Expense/Pretax Income
Effective tax rate = 84/654.5 = 12.8%
Effective rate of 12.8 percent calculated above indicates the amount of money
company pays in terms of the income. The lower the effective tax rate is, the
better for the company.
In conclusion, Molson Coors is a complex company that modified their Income
Statement according to their operations. Despite the changes that could have been made,
the company succeeded in the reporting, and presented fair statement to the audience.
1. — “i.” part of the case was omitted from explanations.
17
Introduction.
Pearson case narrows our research to the accounts receivable portion of the
financial statements. Accounts Receivable is one of the most important accounts of any
company, second only to cash. A company would pay its liabilities, invest, and operate
solely on the revenue it earns, so it is essential to understand the concept of uncollectible
amounts. We, as accountants, must understand how the timing and the creditworthiness
of the debtors will affect the calculation of the bad debt expense. After all, it would
influence other elements as well, for example, opinions of the users of financial
statements and future estimates of allowance for doubtful accounts.
From the research of the case, it became evident that there are things that influence
allowances outside of what we learned in the principles of accounting. The significance
of the account and its contra account in their uncertainty. People do not favor relying on
the estimates, so it is of the utmost importance to be able to be as specific as possible
when dealing with those accounts. In this case we learned that you must have certain
expertise to be able to operate such accounts. One of the most useful tools used for
grasping the concepts was building T-accounts with corresponding journal entries.
a. Accounts Receivable, or Loans and Receivables, is a current asset account that
indicates the amount owed to the company for the services provided. Accounts
receivables are also called trade receivables.
b. There is a distinct difference between Accounts Receivable and Notes
Receivable. Company is likely to collect money for Account Receivable in 30 to
60 days, depending on the oral promises customers make. Notes receivable can be
regarded as both short-term or long-term and are always based on a written
18
promise. Notes receivable are almost always interest bearing, whilst accounts
receivable are not.
c. A contra account’s balance is the opposite of the normal balance for a specific
account. Pearson has two contra accounts that are associated with trade
receivables: Allowance for Bad and Doubtful Debts, and Allowance for Sales
Returns. They capture estimated amount of the receivables uncollectible from
customers, and sales returned. Managers make their assumptions based on the
percentage of sales and experience of the previous years.
d. There are two ways to estimate uncollectible accounts receivable: the
percentage-of-sales procedure and the aging-of-accounts procedure. Although
the T-accounts look the same for these two methods, they differ in what company
needs to estimate and plug-in. In the aging procedure company computes ending
balance of Allowance for Uncollectible accounts, calculating allowance that will
need to be added to the Beginning Balance to get to Ending Balance after
subtracting Write-Offs. On the contrary, firms that use percentage-of-sales
procedure need to estimate allowance number first, plugging-in what sum should
end in the Ending Balance. It should be mentioned that in these two approaches
one composite rate usually used for percentage-of-receivables, while an aging
schedule is set-up for aging-of-accounts that accounts for various age categories.
The latter is more accurate, because it carefully considers past experiences for
different group of uncollectible accounts.
e. Extending credit allows more customers to pay amount they owe to the firm. If
managers have not considered that some of the customers will be able to pay later,
19
they would lose possible profit and it would be difficult to adjust. The risk is that
the company cannot estimate these amounts accurately but will still rely on these
numbers.
f. Differences to the balances are mostly due Income Statement movements and
Write-Off of Accounts Receivable accounts as can be seen from the Figure 3-1.
Currency exchange and Acquisition through business combination also made an
impact. Out of all beforementioned accounts only Bad Debt Expense appears on
the Income Statements in the section of Selling and Administrative Expense,
while Allowance for D/A and A/R belong to the Balance Sheet.
i. Figure 3-1 Allowance for D/A
Dr. Cr.
72
5 26
20 3
76
Note that all numbers are in millions.
Bad Debt Exp 26
Allowance for D/A 26
Allowance for D/A 20
A/R 20
g. Allowance for Sales R/A, Allowance for R/A, And A/R are all reported to
Balance Sheet. Sales R/A, on the contrary, is posted to the Income Statement as a
contra revenue account, which is demonstrated in the Figure 3-2.
20
i. Figure 3-2 Allowance for Sales R/A
Dr. Cr.
372
425
443
354
Sales R/A 425
Allowance for R/A 425
Allowance for Sales R/A 443
A/R 443
h. As we can see from the T-account amount of Gross Credit Sales decreased due
to Cash Collections, Write-offs, and Sales Returns(actual), and increased, when
we added Sales revenue.
Figure 3-3 Gross Credit Sales
Dr. Cr.
1474 17
20
425 443
1419
A/R 425
Sales 425
Cash 17
A/R 17
Sales R/A 443
A/R 443
22
Introduction.
Out of three chapters given as a choice, I felt like the most recent chapter we covered,
namely Receivables, was the one I struggled the most with. In order to help new generation of
Intermediate Accounting students understand the concepts of receivables better, I created a
study guide that highlighted basic concepts for recording the transactions. As one of the best
ways to understand something is to teach it to someone, I think that this case prepared me for a
part of my next intermediate exam well. Knowing how to break things down, and how to explain
it to someone with no background knowledge of it, helps to work on problem-solving skills and
ability to follow logical conclusions. This concept might be used for the future topics and applied
to different subjects in college.
P7-6, Intermediate Accounting
Journalize Various Accounts Receivable Transactions.
The Balance Sheet of Starsky Company at December 31, 2016, includes the following.
Notes receivable 36,000
Accounts receivable 182,100
Less: Allowance for doubtful accounts 17,300 200,800
Instructions:
Prepare all journal entries necessary to reflect the transactions below.
Transactions in 2017 include the following.
1. Accounts receivable of $138,000 were collected including accounts of $60,000 on which
2% sales discounts were allowed.
Cash 136,800
Sales Discounts 1,200
A/R 138,000
23
To make this entry, firstly, we need to estimate the discount, which is simply multiplying
$60,000 by two percent. Subtracting the estimated discount from expected receivables
of $138,000, we get the amount of actual cash received: $138,000 — $1,200 =
$136,800. To balance debits and credits we included Sales Discount in the journal entry.
2. $5,300 was received in payment of an account which was written off the books as
worthless in 2016. It is essential to know what was an initial entry for a write-off, if we
need to reverse it. Write-offs are uncollectibles that company believes will never be
received. To write-off an account, we debit Allowance for Doubtful Accounts, and Credit
Accounts Receivable. Therefore, a recovery of this write-off will be:
A/R 5,300
All for D/A 5,300
We should also recognize cash earned:
Cash 5,300
A/R 5,300
Posting both entries is crucial to the accuracy on the Balance Sheet.
3. Customer accounts of $17,500 were written off during the year.
In the previous step, we have already understood how to write-off an account. Using
that knowledge, the entry will be as follows:
All for D/A 17,500
A/R 17,500
Company recognizes that it is likely to never receive beforementioned payments.
4. At year-end, Allowance for Doubtful Accounts was estimated to need a balance of
$20,000. This estimate is based on an analysis of aged accounts receivable. Referring to
the given information, we see that the ending balance in the Allowance for Doubtful
24
Accounts is $17,300. In order to create the entry that we also need to consider all the
previous entries we posted and their impact on the account. The easiest way to do that
is to create a T-account (refer to Figure 4-1).
Figure 4-1 Allowance for D/A
Dr. Cr.
17,300
5,300
17,500
5,100
The estimated ending balance equals to $5,100, but the fourth question asks us to up
this amount to $20,000. Starsky Co understated the account by $14,900 ($20,000 —
$5,100), which means we will need to increase both Bad Debt Expense and Allowance
for Doubtful Accounts.
Bad Debt Exp 14,900
All for D/A 14,900
26
Introduction
Before this case, I could not even imagine such specific issues can arise from the
decisions managers make on valuating Property, Plant, and Equipment. It was astonishing
to find reasons why the numbers on the financial statements on something as specific as
buildings, equipment, or even land may differ. However, the most important part of this
case demonstrated how the practical application of depreciation varies depending on its
methods. From the following research, ambiguity of perspective became apparent, so the
conclusion is that each company should customize their cost allocation. It was interesting
to see how depreciation methods resulted in gains or losses. I could say that the part I
enjoyed the most was studying self-constructed assets. I believe that this one of the major
parts of Property, Plant, and Equipment for any company, because it can involve so many
other projects, for instance, government grants.
Although the case helped me understand Property, Plant, and Equipment better as a
whole, it raised a lot of yet unanswered questions. I will use this intellectual curiosity to
inspire myself to explore more endless accounting world.
a. There should be several things included in Palfinger’s Property and Equipment.
It is predicted that they own land with warehouses and manufacturing facilities for
their inventory. Equipment will not only include transportation, such as trucks,
but also elevators/cranes, because the company manufactures large and heavy
products. They will need mechanical assistance with lifting and handling those.
b. €149,990 of PPE represents the historical cost of purchasing and bringing to its
intended use all the assets company owns.
27
c. They disclose that PPE consists of: Land and buildings, Undeveloped, Plant and
machinery, Other plant, Fixtures, fittings, and equipment, Prepayments and assets
under construction.
d. Prepayments and assets under construction sub-account stands for the self-
constructed assets under GAAP. It means that these are the buildings built by the
company itself. They are not depreciated yet, because they are either not finished
or not used in the operations yet. This account also includes expenses that are
being prepaid. Palfinger acquired control over prepaid payments, and/or finished
self-constructed building which is shown in Reclassification account, adding
value to the PPE. It is a type of clearing account.
e. Straight-line depreciation seems like a reasonable depreciation method for the
company, but the detailed quantitative analysis shown in part j revealed that
double-declining-balance method will better reflect on the company on the
financial statements, because gain will be recorded.
f. They report modifications as the current expenses during the year they are
actually incurred. Alternatively, modifications can be either treated as an increase
to depreciation or as a part of an asset if Palfinger reevaluates cost of said asset.
g. i. The purchases for 2007 are reported in the amount of €61,444 as they disclose
in the notes.
ii. Governmental grants are financial or different type of the assistance
government provides upon completion of some requirements. They are deducted
from PPE because, the cost of bringing asset to its intended use reduces the
depreciation account. There was a change of €733 reported at the end of the year.
28
iii. €12,557 is recorded as depreciation.
iv. Net Book Value for the disposal of the assets is estimated as follows:
The cost of the disposal – accumulated depreciation = €13,799 — €12,298 =
€1,501
h. Sale — Net Book Value = Gain/Loss
€1,655 - €1,501 = €154
We see an increase in the value of the asset, so it is a gain upon sale. One of the
possibilities is that the value went up because of the natural inflation rate over
period of time. The alternative is that the value of the asset itself could increase
because of certain modifications in quality or functions.
i. Assuming two different methods of depreciation, namely Straight-line and
Double-declining-balance, as well as final salvage value of net assets at €1,273,
the table was prepared. It shows year to year recording of depreciation.
Year
Depreciation
Expense
Net Book
Value
Year Depreciation
Expense
Net Book
Value
2007 1,880€ 8,793€ 2007 4,269€ 6,404€
2008 1,880€ 6,913€ 2008 2,562€ 3,842€
2009 1,880€ 5,033€ 2009 1,537€ 2,305€
2010 1,880€ 3,153€ 2010 922€ 1,383€
2011 1,880€ 1,273€ 2011 110€ 1,273€
j.
i. If Palfinger uses straight-line and does not depreciate for the year of sale, 2008,
then the net book value will equal €8,793. Using the formula from before: Sale —
Net Book Value = Gain/Loss, we calculate the loss on disposal of an asset of
29
€1,293(€8,793 — €7500). Adding to the loss amount depreciation expense of last
year, we conclude that the total impact on income statement is €3,173.
ii. However, if the company uses double-declining-balance net book value of the
asset will be significantly less, only €6,404. In this case, Palfinger will record a
gain: €7,500 — €6,404 = 1,096. It must be noted that total impact on the income
statement will be the same amount of €3,173 when gain is subtracted from
depreciation.
iii. The total impacts are identical in the end, but in the first example Palfinger
reported loss rather than gain as shown when using double-declining method. As
was stated in part e the double-declining-method will seem more favorable to the
outsiders of the company.
31
Introduction
Working on the Volvo case taught us a lot about Research and Development costs,
and especially their difference under American and international laws. Although research
and development costs are reported together, there is an important distinction between the
two that makes accounting for them even more challenging. The expenditures incurred
can be capitalized as a part of an intangible asset or expensed directly to the Income
statement. It was important to note the relationship between total research and
development costs to net sales, and how the companies adjust the former according to the
changes in the latter. I think that research and development is crucial to many companies
and understanding how we treat them is essential for us to be able to work for the future
clients. Below you can see a detailed conclusion of the finding of my research, and why
do they matter in this particular case.
a. Research and development expenses of kr13,193 million would include any
expenditures incurred during the process of research only, because Volvo follows
IFRS rules rather than GAAP. In that case, they would capitalize costs once
technological feasibility is achieved. According to this, internally developed
intangibles that are normally expensed under GAAP, will be excluded and
capitalized under IFRS. To resume, the main difference in applying international
rules will lie in determining the costs in development phase and them meeting
requirements to be either expensed or capitalized.
b. As Volvo applies IAS 38, there are several principles they follow in order to
expense or capitalize a certain cost. First of all, if said expenditure has a high
degree certainty that will result in future financial benefits they shall be reported
32
as Intangible Assets. However, there are additional criteria to be met. As
mentioned in the notes, one example is to be able to prove a functionality of a
product before its development costs are reported as an asset. That would mean
that timing is important, as the company will normally be able to capitalize
expenditures only during the industrialization phase of a product.
c. Volvo states that amortization period for Product and Software development is
three to eight years. Amortization expense is matched with the revenue its asset
drives, so we can conclude that Volvo chooses the period according to the useful
life of the asset and spreads the cost over it. Volvo exists for many years, so they
should have an accurate representation of usage of their assets.
d. There is a difference between reporting Research and Development costs under
IFRS and GAAP that was discussed in the first part of this case. The difference
is that you expense R&D under GAAP, but when certain criteria are met,
development under IFRS is either capitalized and amortized or expensed. Both
methods have their advantages, but IFRS way seems to be more accurate for more
experienced companies. The GAAP method is easier to use and implement, and
with given consistency the accuracy approximates more complex IFRS rules.
e. Product and software development, net
i. To find net of the Product and Software development, we need to deduct
an amount of the Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization.
kr25,148 — kr13,739 = kr11,409
kr11, 409 is the ending balance for the year, while the starting value is
kr12,381 as can be seen from a T-account in the next step.
33
Intangible assets have their own line on the balance sheet: Intangible
Assets, that is recorded in Assets’ section.
ii. A T-account is presented in Figure 6-1 to show how depreciation and
amortization impact balance of Product and Software development.
Figure 6-1 Product and Software
Development, net
Dr. Cr.
12,381
2,602 3,126
448
11,409
f. Figure 6-2 combines Product and Software development costs capitalized, Total
R&D expense, Amortization, R&D costs that were capitalized, as well as
proportion capitalized during the years of 2007, 2008, and 2009. As we can see
from the data proportion capitalized is slowly declining.
Figure 6-2
(in SEK millions) 2007 2008 2009
1) Product and software development costs capitalized during the year 2,057 2,150 1,858
2) Total R&D expense on the income statement 11,059 14,348 13,193
3) Amortization of previously capitalized costs (included in R&D expense) 2,357 2,864 3,126
4) Total R&D costs incurred during the year = 1 + 2 - 3 10,759 13,634 11,925
Proportion Capitalized 19.12% 15.77% 15.58%
g. Refer to Figure 6-3. Volvo is steadily increasing their Total R&D to Net Sales, and
while for Navistar there was a fall of 0.48 percent in 2008, they increased the
34
proportion by 1.16 percent in 2009. The difference between the companies is not
substantial: the greatest one is around two percent. The other evidence that the
numbers are quite comparable is that sales increased and fell in the same years. For
example, even though Sales of Volvo fell by approximately 30 percent in 2009,
Navistar faced 22 percent decrease in the same year.
Figure 6-3
Volvo 2007 2008 2009
(in SEK millions)
Net sales, industrial operations 276,795 294,932 208,487
Total assets, from balance sheet 321,647 372,419 332,265
Total R&D costs incurred 10759 13634 11925
Proportion of total R&D to Net Sales 3.89% 4.62% 5.72%
Navistar
Total RD 375 384 433
Net Sales 11,910 14,399 11,300
Proportion 3.15% 2.67% 3.83%
36
Introduction.
This case offered us an insight in a technological side of the accounting world.
We know that the data and analytics became the essential part of any company, especially
those of accounting providers. Data streams are constantly recorded and stored away, but
even though the information gathered is invaluable, there are few platforms that are
actually capable of analyzing it. Therefore, we considered one of the most valuable IT
companies, namely Splunk Platform, and its current and potential contributions to the
accountancy. Despite its relatively small life, 15 years of its operation, Splunk created
various applications to assist users and contribute to the society as a powerful economic
and analytical tool.
It was important for us to understand how Splunk gathered different types of
companies to create a base for all-rounded IT company. For the company to have success
it has to go above and beyond of what other companies offer. The platform proved to be
an essential tool in various operations. To conclude, we recommend Splunk to be
implemented as a means of system’s progression and improvement.
1. Splunk is a software for searching and analyzing big amounts of data. Splunk (the
product) captures, indexes, and correlates real-time data in a searchable repository
from which it can generate graphs, reports, alerts, dashboards, and visualizations.
(Woods). The company was founded in 2003 by Michael Baum, Rob Das, and Eric
Swan. Throughout the years Splunk acquired a mobile-device data-analytics
company, a cybersecurity startup, as well as allying with U.S government, becoming
one of the world leaders in IT service. Splunk strives to gather and analyze data in a
way modern customer of all backgrounds will access and use it with ease. The
37
company is not oriented, but makes its largest contributions to the business world,
creating technology infrastructures and IT systems to help users make well informed
decisions. Splunk is a platform itself, which includes Splunk Enterprise, Splunk
Cloud, Splunk Premium Solutions, and Rich Ecosystem of apps and add-ons. Splunk
premium solutions are further narrowed in Splunk IT Service Intelligence, Splunk
Enterprise Security, and Splunk User Behavior Analytics.
2. From the information posted on the Splunk website, we can conclude that the active
utilization of their tools will not require an abundance of special skills. The company
prides itself in making information accessible, so the operation of the application
should be simple enough for an average user to make use of that information.
Illustrations provide a clear picture of an interactive platform that excels at
summarizing information. In addition, Splunk also assures assistance in implementing
its programs. Comparatively, despite its complexity of functions, Splunk stays at the
same level of difficulty as Microsoft Excel: while it is true that the user would need to
learn certain functions of an application first, but after that the platform would do the
rest of the work.
As students we learn similar skills in classes like Accounting Information
Systems and Management Information Systems, which focus on the technology part
of the business world. Working with databases and using special tools to analyze
them could be one of the milestones on the way to mastering platforms like Splunk.
Continuing practice with complex formulas and basics of programming could prove
to be of a huge benefit in a further understanding, using, and improving more
advanced applications like Splunk.
38
3. Accounting world uses technology in their day-to-day operations, and each decade
proves to be on a completely different level in terms of advancement and usefulness. In
this section we will examine various scenarios that show how the Splunk platform could
be useful in auditing, tax planning, financial statement analysis, valuation, and advisory.
3a. Audit.
Splunk platform could aid auditors in sampling and vouching as a part of
substantive testing. The system would easily detect gaps, errors, and any other
misstatements that routinely occur. Already, more and more accountants rely on
technologies in that regard.
The programs, that Splunk offers, also contain the protocol for assessing risk and
its importance to the firm. While it is still managers’ decisions how to approach the
problem, it considerably saves both the time and resources.
Risk assessment is an essential part of auditing. It is usual for an event to repeat
itself, which means many threats will resurface throughout life of the firm. The desired
application will be a tool that could document and store previous risk assessments, later
connecting arising one and referencing to the appropriate solutions. In a way, the
platform would design responses building a complex scheme of solutions to tremendous
number of challenges.
3b. Tax.
Tax reporting and compliance utilizes many complex concepts that Splunk could
not only analyze, but cross-reference. This is very important for companies that are
spread internationally as tax must be reported according to local regulations. The legal
39
aspect of tax varies from country to country, and analysis that Splunk produces could
help stabilize reporting for the firm and improve its efficiency without allocating more
resources.
Tax authorities, as mentioned in the article published by Ernst & Young, are
taking advantage of digitization to introduce new e-invoicing requirements into their
national legislation to assist with GST, VAT or other revenue-based taxes (Zöllkau 3). It
is believed that introducing technologies as Splunk could not only lower taxes, but also
increase return on investment.
Monitoring the impact of new tax regulations around the world is impossible
without special applications to simplify the process and significantly reduce hours of
gathering steady flow of information. Splunk platform is designed to accept stream of
data without loosing nor space nor speed, which makes it indispensable in planning and
accounting for tax operations.
3c. Advisory.
Advisory department would benefit from the application called Splunk Quick
Start, because it collects, correlates, indexes, and visualizes data from all layers of the
infrastructure for quicker root cause analysis and faster troubleshooting. (Splunk website)
Splunk IT Service Intelligence specifically makes it easier for financial analysts.
Not only it simplifies operation for quicker insights, but interactively shows critical
issues, giving user an advantage of time to fix it. Implementing the system for the clients
would allow for a better time management and would reorganize task approach in a more
efficient way.
40
Application Delivery manages complex, highly taxed and interconnected
information systems, which is an operational advantage in a valuating area of accounting.
A machine that sorts out through extensive data, attaching it to proper categories would
eliminate the need for several manual operations.
4. From the aforementioned evidence, it is clear that the company should invest and
implement Splunk platform. Their application is an asset itself that will benefit people of
the company in any department. Talented employees could use it to create and integrate
various integrations inside the firm, so it would evolve in a more IT independent entity.
However, Splunk’s clean record does not assure cybersecurity of a high level because of
the short-term existence. However, it will help the company to enhance data storage, as
well as data’s manipulation, gathering, and analysis. Using the ideas from the previous
paragraphs, employees are going to create a new unique and successful way of
performing analytical procedures on a global level. Overall, predicted outcomes outweigh
the possible high costs of implementation of these professional applications.
Works Cited
Woods, Dan (2011-01-06). "Business Intelligence and the Data Center". Online
version, retrieved on 1/24/2018
Zöllkau, York. EY – Tax Insights for business leaders. №14. Online edition, retrieved
on 1/26/2018.
42
Introduction.
In this case we looked at the indebtedness and credit agreement of Rite Aid. We
learned to differentiate between the terminology, namely various types of bonds and
interest. There is a slight, but very significant difference that I did not know, but mattered
a lot in the end. It was important to construct entries for different types of notes and see
how accounting rules for them differ. We carefully considered how to accurately expense
the interest and amortize discounts and premiums. It was important to note the
significance of issuing different types of notes according to the needs of the company.
Overall, the case was an asset and an aid in learning effects of terms on the debt
itself and its accounting. Debt disclosures were quite complex, and it proved to be
challenging to navigate in advanced aspects of a note, but this challenged me to know
more. Working on the case aids us in preparing for future classes, where terminology will
thoroughly be utilized.
a.
i. Note 11 features Indebtedness and Credit Agreement. According to it, Rite Aid
issues both secured and unsecured loans. The main difference is that secured debts are
backed up by a senior lien on, inventory, accounts receivable, and prescription files of the
subsidiary guarantors. On the other hand, unsecured debt is an unprotected obligation
with no guarantee of payment of any sort in case of default or bankruptcy.
ii. The guaranteeing is different from securing a debt. In the latter case company
itself is a guarantor, but in the former a third-party is taking the responsibility for the
43
loan, if the firm fails to meet the obligation. Rite Aid’s loans are secured by fully-owned
subsidiaries of the company.
iii. To be precise, we need to define words “senior”, “fixed-rate”, and
“convertible”. Senior loans are generally secured by a borrower’s assets pursuant to a
priority or “senior” lien, and they are first in priority in receiving payments when a
borrower is servicing its debts (Norman 2). Fixed-rate mortgage has a fixed interest rate
that does not change, which means steady equal payments as a result. Convertible debt
can be turned into other securities of the company, for instance, common stock.
iv. It is important to be flexible in financing the operations. While the company’s
desire would be of a certain interest rate and terms, creditors have their own, making it
difficult to find the one suitable. This results in adjusting according to time of the
issuance, market rates, as well as conditions for both parties.
b. For the year ended February 27, 2010, total debt obligations equal to $6,370,899,
of which $51,502 are current maturities of long-term debt and lease financing obligations
that are due within the coming twelve months.
c.
i. The 7.5% senior secured notes that are due March 2017 were issued in the
face value of $500,000. The carrying value did not change from year to year, and when
no discount or premium is listed, we can assume that the value listed in the note 11 is the
face value.
ii. To issue the notes, Rite Aid made following entries:
44
Cash 500,000
Notes Payable 500,000
iii. The annual interest expense journal entry:
Interest Expense 37,500
Interest Payable 37,500
iv. To record the maturity of the note, Rite Aid would entry as follows:
Notes Payable 500,000
Cash 500,000
d.
i. Face value of 9.375% senior notes due December 2015 amounts to $410,000
with a carrying value of $405,951 at February 27, 2010. The two values differ because of
the amortization of the discount.
ii. During fiscal 2009 Rite Aid paid $38,438 in interest.
$410,000 X 9.375% = $38,438
iii. Total amount of interest expense would equal to the interest expense and the
amount of discount amortized, where $705 of amortization is a non-cash part.
$38,438 + $705 = $39,143
iv. To record interest expense for fiscal 2009:
Interest Expense 39,143
45
Discount on Notes Payable 705
Cash 38,438
v. To compute the total rate of interest, we need to divide the interest expense by
the carrying value for 2009:
$39,143/405,246 = 9.66%
e. Next notes we are looking at are 9.75% senior secured due 2016.
i. To record the proceeds of the note:
Cash 402,620 (410,000 X 98.2%)
Discount on Notes Payable 7,380
Notes Payable 410,000
ii. To compute the effective annual rate, we use financial calculator, where
number of years is seven, present value is $403,308, payments are $39,975(410,000 X
9.75%), and future value is $410,000. Then, effective interest rate would equal to
10.1212%.
iii. Figure 8-1 summarizes the amortization and interest expense schedule, holding
the effective interest rate constant. It also demonstrates decrease in the net book value of
the debt and show amounts of discount amortization for each of the periods in the first
column.
46
Figure 8-1
DateInterest
Payment
Interest
Expense
Bond
Discount
Amortization
Net Book
Value of Debt
Effective
Interest Rate
6/30/2009 402,620$ 10.1212%
6/30/2010 39,975$ 40,750$ 775$ 403,395 10.1212%
6/30/2011 39,975 40,828 853 404,248 10.1212%
6/30/2012 39,975 40,915 940 405,188 10.1212%
6/30/2013 39,975 41,010 1,035 406,223 10.1212%
6/30/2014 39,975 41,115 1,140 407,363 10.1212%
6/30/2015 39,975 41,230 1,255 408,618 10.1212%
6/30/2016 39,975 41,357 1,382 410,000$ 10.1212%
iv. To accrue two thirds of annual interest, Rite Aid would:
Interest Expense 27,167
Discount on Notes Payable 517
Cash 26,650
v. Net book value will increase by the amount of discount amortized.
$402,620 + $517 = $403,137
Works Cited
Norman, Dan. Diversify Your Portfolio with Senior Loans. Investor Insight. February
2017. Retrieved from web on 2/10/2018.
48
Introduction.
The case summarized Merck’s activity authorizing shares, issuing, and
repurchasing them back, as well as paying dividends. The research illustrates the very
reason for reporting Stockholder’s Equity and disclosing Dividends. The information that
is necessary to come to a certain conclusion is spread out on all four financial statements
and the notes. It was of a huge future benefit to look though all of them to determine
which numbers would be useful in calculations for ratios, because some of data could be
misleading for an inexperienced user.
The first part of the case included determination of amount of shares the company
as well as computing market capitalization. Next part was more conceptual, where we
researched the company’s reasons for not only paying dividends, but also for
repurchasing its own stock — activities that are not profitable at first glance. However,
they turned out to be essential for firm’s ability to sell stock successfully as shareholders
review them for determining attractiveness of the firm.
Furthermore, we looked how to account for dividends, carefully considering what
amounts should be debited and credited, how much should be taken from retained
earnings, and if all of the dividends declared would be paid. One of the following parts
accounted for treasury stock, where we looked at it from the perspective of cost method.
The last part included an excel table that makes the information we determined in earlier
parts more useful for review and possible decision-making: there were patterns that are
not so obvious without profound analysis.
49
Overall, this case allowed us to see the whole picture of what is happening when
company issues stock. One action that triggers an enormous response from all
stakeholders and constitutes one of the major parts of firm’s financing.
a.
i. Merck is authorized to issue 5,400 million stock shares. The number can be
found on the Balance Sheet.
ii. 2,983.5 million stock shares were issued at December 31, 2017 as stated on the
Balance Sheet. (Note that the numbers in calculations are not listed in millions to
be as accurate as possible)
iii. $29,800,000 / 2,983,508,675 = $0.01
Shares are $0.01 par value. We calculated this number, dividing the dollar
amount that is shown on the balance sheet by the total number of shares issued.
iv. 811,005,791 shares are held in treasury stock.
v. Shares issued – Treasury stock = Outstanding shares
2,983,508,675 — 811,005,791 = 2,172,502,884
vi. Market price per share X total number of shares outstanding = Market
Capitalization
$57.61 X 2,172,502,884 = $125,157,891,147
Using the formula, we concluded that the total for market capitalization at
December 31, 2007 is $125,157,891,147.
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c. Paying dividends is a way for the company to reward participating shareholders.
Not all organizations can afford distribution of dividends, so it acts as a signal to
potential investors that the company is profitable and is showing potential. With
that being noticed, more and more new shareholders will invest in what they
believe is a profitable entity, so naturally the stock price will go up.
d. Companies repurchase their own stock from the market to increase shareholders’
wealth. A firm itself cannot be a shareholder, but by buying back shares it
decreases shares outstanding. With fewer shares, the value of one will be higher.
e. To summarize Merck’s dividend activity for 2007, the company should make the
following entry:
R/E 3,310,700,000
Dividends Payable 3,400,000
Cash 3,307,300,000
g.
i. Merck uses cost method to account for treasury stock. Under this method, the
par value of shares is ignored in favor of an actual cost of repurchasing.
ii. According to the note eleven, 26,500,000 shares were repurchased in 2007.
iii. From Stockholder’s Equity we know that Merck paid $1,429,700,000 for
repurchases. If we divide this number by number of shares repurchased, the
amount per share would equal $53.95. This is considered a financing activity in
the relation to cash flow.
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iv. Merck would not disclose treasury stock as an asset, because, in fact, it is a
contra-equity account. It decreases Stockholder’s Equity and does not bear any
future economic benefit.
v. As shown in the Figure 9-1, various were calculated for Merck in two
consequential years. Merck paid 15 million less dividends in 2007 that could
lead to negative assumptions from potential shareholders’ perspective.
However, if compared to the total numbers of dividends paid, it can be argued
that this number is immaterial. While the stock price has shown an increase of
$16, dividends per share almost have not changed which led to a percent
reduction in a dividend yield. It can also be considered, that even though Net
Income decreased by a quarter, Total Assets show an increase of almost 4
billion, and ratio of dividends to assets have not changed despite varying
values in two years.
Figure 9-1
2007 2006
Dividends Paid 3,307,300,000$ 3,322,600,000$
Shares Outstanding 2,172,502,884 2,167,785,445
Net Income 3,275,400,000$ 4,433,800,000$
Total Assets 48,350,700,000$ 44,569,800,000$
Operating cash flows 6,999,200,000$ 6,765,200,000$
Year-end stock price 57.61$ 41.94$
Dividends per share 1.52$ 1.53$
Dividend yield 2.64% 3.65%
Dividend payout 1.01 0.75
Dividends to total assets 0.07 0.07
Dividends to operating cash flows 0.47 0.49
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Introduction.
State Street Corporation is involved in acquiring marketable securities for
generating profit. There are several ways for the firm to make money with certain
securities. First, it is possible to use appreciation or, in other words, buy low, sell high.
Second, it is common to receive dividends from the equity securities. Finally, interest is
gained on the debt.
Accounting while holding securities also vary. There is an important difference
between recognizing the sale and realizing it. Realization is related to the ability to
convert asset into cash, that is why it is not possible to realize revenue for the security
until it is actually sold.
Here is the basic framework for recognizing unrealized gains and losses as long as the
company cannot exert significant influence:
▪ Trading — adjust the fair value, recognize gains and losses on the income
statement.
▪ Available-for-Sale — adjust fair value, recognize unrealized gains and losses on
equity (other comprehensive income).
▪ Held-to-Maturity — changes in fair value are possible because of changes in
interest rates, but we do not recognize it, because we classified it as a Held-to-
Maturity. Do not recognize unrealized gains and losses. Realize when sold, unless
there is no change in what we paid/sold. Amortization of discount/premium
reflects the change of the interest rate from purchase date to when it is ready to be
sold.
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Since State Street main operations involve buying and selling securities, its financial
statements have elements that are very specific for the type of service they are providing.
To begin with, Balance Sheet does not divide into subsections of Current and Long-term
assets, but rather the firm lists their assets in order of decreasing liquidity. Moreover,
Cost of Goods Sold is absent from Income Statement, because securities cannot be
qualified as inventory. We also see that they do not include selling nor administrative
expenses.
Auditors have different opinions on the matter of how to account for securities, that is
why it is very important to have a clear guidance and regulations in place. This case
helped us understand various reasonings behind the classifications as well as ways to
record significant events that impact the cost of securities. It is important to understand
how the securities work in order to audit one of the main financial instruments of the
company.
a.
i. Trading securities are debt or equity securities, generally short-term, that are
bought and sold in a rapid fashion to generate profit.
ii. $1 of dividends or interest received will be recorded as:
a) Cash 1
Dividend Revenue 1
b) Interest Receivable 1
Interest Revenue 1
iii. if the value is increased by $1:
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Fair Value Adjustment (Trading) 1
Unrealized Holding Gain — Equity 1
b.
i. Securities Available-for-Sale are either debt or equity securities with unclear
intent. The owner might or might not sell them, so they can be used strategically,
depending on what company currently needs.
ii. The entry for recording dividends and interest of $1 will be as follows:
a) Cash 1
Dividend Revenue 1
b) Interest Receivable 1
Interest Revenue 1
iii. If value of the security is increased by $1:
Fair Value Adjustment (AFS) 1
Unrealized Holding Gain — Income 1
c.
i. Held-to-Maturity securities are the securities that the firm has an intent to hold
to maturity. They can only include debt securities as stock have an unlimited life,
thus they do not have a maturity life.
ii. The firm will not record any adjustments to the fair value as it does not matter
since they will be holding the security until it matures. The security will be
recorded at cost.
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d.
i. On December 31, 2012, Trading account assets equal to $637,000,000 on the
Balance Sheet, which means the Market Value of the securities is the same,
because they are recorded at its fair market value.
ii. If the unadjusted trial balance for 2012 shows that the value of trading
securities equals to $552,000,000, State Street will make a following entry:
Fair Value Adjustment (trading) 85,000,000
Unrealized Holding Gain — Equity 85,000,000
e.
i. The 2012 year-end balance of securities held-to-maturity account equals to
$11,379,000,000.
ii. Market value of these securities equals to $11,661,000,000.
iii. The amortized cost of held-to-maturity is exactly the same as its carrying value
listed on the balance sheet, $11,379,000,000.
iv. The market value and amortized cost are different. While the former equals to
the fair value, the latter is what is left from the original cost after costs were
allocated over the life of the asset.
f.
i. The account balance at the year-end of 2012 for Available-for-Sale securities
equals to $109,682,000,000.
ii. Net Unrealized gains and losses for 2012 for AFS: $1119 ($2001 - $882)
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iii. What are the net realized gains and losses: $55(found on the income
statement) = 101 – 46.
g.
i. Purchase of Available-for-Sale securities:
Investment in AFS 60,812,000,000
Cash 60,812,000,000
We do not make any adjustment to Investment account until we sell the security.
ii. To record the sale of these securities, State Street would make the following
entry:
Cash 5,399,000,000
Unrealized Holding Gain 67,000,000
Realized Gain on AFS 55,000,000
Investment in AFS 5,411,000,000
iii. To determine the original cost of Available-for-Sale securities:
Cash proceeds amount to $5,399,000,000, gain was $55,000,000.
Gain = Proceeds — Book Value.
55,000,000 = 5,399,000,000 – 55,000,000 = 5,344,000,000
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Introduction.
Income taxes are complex since it is crucial to take into consideration various
details such as permanent differences, temporary differences, effective and statutory
rates. The case study of Zagg Inc. talks about each of these items in detail, but mainly
focuses on the application of deferred taxes. We learned how to construct two different
balance sheets, where the new one represents the amount deducted or added for tax
reporting purposes.
The reconciliation of both pre-tax financial income from an Income Statement
and Taxable Income from a tax return gives us a general idea of the amount we should
consider that is created due to different strategies and methods company uses for
valuating certain accounts. Although permanent differences occur on one side of the
equation, temporary differences affect both pre-tax financial income and taxable income,
which creates a significant impact we must consider. They typically result in deferred tax
assets or deferred tax liabilities, but in rare cases that are explained below they cannot be
linked to any asset or a liability.
Temporary differences are caused by the timing and they will reverse themselves
in the future periods. In the event, when realization of deferred taxes is more than likely
not to be realized company creates valuation allowance account. Zagg has a net system
for the deferred taxes, and its financial statements contain both deferred tax assets and
liabilities. They cannot offset each other, an asset will never become a liability, but the
firm uses net of each, combining them in one item, which we will decompose in one of
the entries. To understand better, we consulted the codification, specifically ASC 740,
which exempts you can see below.
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a. Book Income. Taxable Income.
Book Income, also known as a pretax income, is used for financial reporting
purpose and can be found on the Income Statement. It is used as a base for
computing Income Tax Expense. Zagg reports $23,898 million of a pretax income
for 2012. Taxable Income, on the other hand, is used to compute Income Tax
Payable for tax reporting purposes.
b.
i. Permanent tax difference is recognized as an expense on the financial
statement according to GAAP regulations, but these differences are not allowed
by IRS, which is why they do not constitute as a part of tax return. For instance,
interest on tax-exempt securities such as municipal bonds, non-tax-deductible
goodwill amortization or impairment, and dividends-received deduction based on
income from businesses in which an entity has ownership.
ii. Temporary tax differences are created when an event has been treated
differently for financial reporting and tax reporting purposes, and it is expected to
reverse back in the future and impact the tax amount. They are identified by
preparing a tax balance sheet, which later is compared to the official balance sheet
statement. The main cause for temporary differences to occur is timing of events,
payments, financial reports, and tax returns. There are two types of temporary
differences: future taxable and future deductible amount, which are discussed in
part e.
iii. Statutory tax rate is mandated by law. There could be multiple rates for
different income levels. Although both rates are used for computing tax expense,
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statutory rate does not equal effective rate, because of the temporary differences
involved.
iv. Effective tax rate is a calculated rate, which uses the following formula: Tax
Expense divided by Pretax income.
c. Codification ASC 740.
ASC 740-10-30-3
Total income tax expense (or benefit) for the year is the sum of deferred tax
expense (or benefit) and income taxes currently payable or refundable.
According to ASC 740, tax reporting consists of calculating two items: amount
that is currently due and deferred taxes. The two are computed separately, but their sum
equals the total tax expense.
Deferred Tax mainly consists of temporary differences that are defined as a “tax
basis of an asset or liability computed pursuant to the requirements in Subtopic 740-10
for tax positions, and its reported amount in the financial statements”. It impacts future
periods, creating future taxable or deductible amounts, when the reported amount of the
asset or liability is recovered or settled.
ASC 740 recognizes eight examples of different temporary differences that are
possible to occur. Each of them explains the importance of it being included in the total
tax provision together with the current tax bill.
ASC 740-10-30-4 Deferred tax expense (or benefit) is the change during the year
in an entity’s deferred tax liabilities and assets. For deferred tax liabilities and
assets recognized in a business combination during the year, it is the change since
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the acquisition date. Paragraph 830-740-45-1 addresses the manner of reporting
the transaction gain or loss that is included in the net change in a deferred foreign
tax liability or asset when the reporting currency is the functional currency.
First few examples of differences are created due to timing discrepancies. Book
value of an item is more than is reported for tax purposes, so if it was to be sold today, it
would result in a future taxable amount, that results in a deferred tax liability. However, it
gets more complicated if we consider depreciation for said asset. It is important to
compare how it has been depreciated both for reporting and for tax purposes. For
instance, if six years of depreciation were used on the tax return, and only three on the
books, the temporary difference creates a deferred tax asset, or a future deductible
amount. On the other hand, if the situation was reversed, we would observe no
depreciation for some of the years for taxable income. Other events will include business
combinations, indefinite-lived assets, inflation indexation.
Accounting for temporary difference in general includes the following steps:
1. Identify temporary differences.
2. Identify tax loss carryforwards and tax credits.
3. Determine the tax rate to apply to temporary differences and loss carryforwards.
4. Calculate deferred tax assets and liabilities.
5. Evaluate the need for a valuation allowance.
Intuitively it is unclear why deferred taxes are reported as a part of total income
expense, because they are deferred. However, current period events are causing those
differences directly, so we must follow the expense/revenue matching principle.
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Some temporary differences are not identified with an asset or liability. According
to ASC 740 those result from events that have been fully recognized as per the
financial statements but may be recognized differently on the tax return. These
differences cannot be identified with a particular asset or liability. One example
would be if a construction company reports revenues and expenses using percentage
of completion method on its financial statements, while using completed-contract
method for tax purposes. The difference becomes taxable when the project is
completed.
d. Deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities.
Deferred tax liabilities are those temporary differences that will generate future
tax. It implies that the company will have future tax obligations because of a
transaction that takes place during the current period. Difference in depreciation
amounts for financial statements and tax reporting is one of the most common
deferred tax liabilities. For instance, ling-lived assets are usually depreciated using
straight-line method, while the tax regulations allow for an accelerated way.
Depreciation on the tax return will be higher for the number of periods. Deferred tax
liability will gradually lower to the point where difference with straight-line
depreciation will disappear.
On the opposite side, deferred tax assets will result in the reduction of tax, its
return or relief. They exist when company overpaid its obligations or paid them in
advance. It can be compared to other prepaid assets, such as rent, advertising, or
insurance. Although the company distributed the money, it is still entitled to the
benefits they paid for, and that is why this amount should be reflected in its financial
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statements. Carry forward of a loss is a good illustration of a deferred tax asset. The
codification authorizes businesses to carry the loss over the periods to reduce the
taxable income in the future. Recent tax reform prohibited carrying losses backwards
to the past.
In general, firms’ objectives are to defer their liabilities for as long as possible,
and do not pre-pay any taxes. Tax assets are not certain to be realized, which is why
companies establish tax valuation allowance accounts for those that are “more likely
than not” that they will not be realized.
e. Tax Valuation Allowance.
First of determining if the tax valuation account is needed is assessing the
evidence. There should be enough quality pieces of information that will allow
the user to make a decision. It is very subjective part that is usually handled by
more experienced personnel. Because its mainly based on management’s
judgement, a certain percentage of an allowance account would not work and
would not be appropriate. Formulas exist to have a starting point in the
determination of amount that should be assigned to the account, but they are not
the substitute for experienced perspective or judgement.
f.
i. To record Income Tax Provision for 2012, in millions:
Income Tax Expense 9,393
DTA, net 8,293
Inc Tax Payable 17,686
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ii. To decompose into deferred income tax asset and deferred tax liability
components:
Income Tax Expense 9,393
DTA 8,002 (14,302 — 6,300)
DTL 291
Income Tax Payable 17,686
iii.
Effective tax rate can be calculated by dividing Tax expense by Pretax Income.
Effective tax rate = 9,393,000,000/23,898,000,000 = 39.3%
Statutory rate for Zagg is 35%. The difference between the two includes
temporary differences: deferred tax asset of $8,002 million and deferred tax
liability of $291 million, as well as valuation allowance accounts and permanent
differences.
iv.
Ending balance for deferred tax assets is $13,508 million, net of valuation
allowance and net of DTL, which also equals to the sum of current deferred taxes
and non-current.
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Introduction.
Although we studied revenues under the new recognition principle, we have never
considered from the perspective of a real company like Apple. This case is a perfect
example for revenue recognition as the company operated not only with goods, but
services both at the physical stores and online. Specific rules are applied to revenue
recognition over time. In order to analyze this case, we accessed codification, specifically
ASC 605 and ASC 606.
Throughout the case we defined such terms as revenues, gains, recognition of
revenue, and multi-element contracts. There are many methods company may use. For
example, Apple accounts for contracts with multiple deliverables using products’ relative
selling price. Accounting for such contracts is discussed in part d. of this case. Part e., on
the other hand, discusses the manager’s perspective of accounting for sales revenue. In
the last part of the case, we considered when resume would be recognized for different
sales situations, aligning the recognition principles as much as possible with the new
standard. Because of the wide assortment of goods and services that Apple provides, we
could research and apply variety of methods.
Overall, sales revenue is an essential part of any accounting, and cannot be
overlooked. Although not the only one, but maximizing sales and profit is one of the
main objectives of any company. In order to do strategic planning, it is important for a
firm to rely on reliable financial statements with accurate data. It is true that the more
complex company’s sales process is, the more difficult it is to choose accounting method,
but this case helped to investigate one of the more common situations.
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a. Revenues arise from central operations of the organization, whereas gains results
from peripheral activities. Another way to look at them is that revenue is
“normal” income that is expected and realized, when gains are typically
unexpected and might be unrealized.
For the next steps we use information attained from research on the codification.
Its objective “is to establish the principles that an entity shall apply to report
useful information to users of financial statements about the nature, amount,
timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from a contract with a
customer”.
b. Revenue is recognized when the contract performance obligations are fulfilled,
there are many nuances though. The new revenue recognition standard will have a
huge impact on the existent practices. Main areas that are affected are amount and
timing of revenue recognition. According to ASC 606, which is effective since
2018, company should identify significant financing components, which can be
explicitly stated or implied by the contract terms and are accounted for separately
form the revenue transaction. The cumulative effect of the new regulation may be
recognized retrospectively or apply for existing contracts, adjusting the beginning
retained earnings, if company so chooses. In general, it is created to support
international alignment and comparison amongst global entities.
The new standard is called “Revenue from contracts with customers” and
uses asset-liability approach as the basis for revenue recognition. A firm will
account for revenue based on assets and liabilities that arise from contracts with
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customers. A five-step process for revenue recognition under the new method
exists:
1. Identify the contract with customers. Several questions must be answered in
order to satisfy this requirement. Contract has to have a commercial
substance, and both parties agree on the contract.
2. Identify the separate performance obligations in the contract.
3. Determine the transaction price. Payment terms are to be established.
4. Allocate the transaction price to the separate performance obligations if
applicable.
5. Recognize revenue when each performance obligation is satisfied.
Criteria outline exists for revenue recognition as well. It includes issues like
collection probability, delivery completion, persuasive evidence of an
arrangement, determinable price.
Accounts are affected in several situations, including sales, sales returns
and allowances, repurchase agreements, bill and hold, principal-agent
relationships, consignments, warranties, nonrefundable upfront fees, contract
modifications, and revenue recognition over time for long-term contracts. Various
accounts are affected, depending on the situation.
c. Apple’s main sources of revenue are hardware, software, applications, digital
content, peripherals, and service and support contracts.
On the other hand, Apple recognizes revenue when four of the following criteria
are met:
1. Persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists.
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2. Delivery has occurred.
3. The sales price is fixed or determinable.
4. Collection is probable.
Apple criteria fully align with generally accepted ones.
In the most recent Apple 10-K the following statement may be found:
The new revenue standards may be applied retrospectively to each prior period
presented or retrospectively with the cumulative effect recognized as of the date of
adoption. The Company will adopt the new revenue standards in its first quarter of
2019 utilizing the full retrospective transition method.
d. Multi-element contract involves an arrangement of more than one item or
service that contractor agrees to provide. It is very difficult to standardize the
revenue recognition across multiple arrangements. New accounting standard tried
to ease the issue proposing accounting for the elements using their fair market
value, but there are so many possibilities that fair market value can vary
depending on how a company decided to calculate it. There are also revenue
recognitions adjustments that have to be made overtime.
606-10-25-9 An entity shall combine two or more contracts entered into at or near
the same time with the same customer (or related parties of the customer) and
account for the contracts as a single contract if one or more of the following
criteria are met:
a. The contracts are negotiated as a package with a single commercial
objective.
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b. The amount of consideration to be paid in one contract depends on the
price or performance of the other contract.
c. The goods or services promised in the contracts (or some goods or
services promised in each of the contracts) are a single performance
obligation in accordance with paragraphs 606-10-25-14 through 25-22.
e. Managers would have to consider what relative selling price they
would use. Currently Apple uses a hierarchy than includes vendor-
specific objective evidence of fair value, third-party evidence of
selling price, and best estimate of the selling price. Manager’s
objectives should also include accounting and predicting for the sales
returns and allowances and maintaining warranties.
f.
i. iTunes songs sold online.
As Apple is not primarily vendor of iTunes content, it recognizes sales on
net basis, retaining only commission it is entitled to. A part of what buyers
are paying never appears on the consolidated statements of the company.
606-10-55-49 An entity should recognize a liability (and not revenue) for
any consideration received that is attributable to a customer’s unexercised
rights for which the entity is required to remit to another party, for
example, a government entity in accordance with applicable unclaimed
property laws.
ii. Mac-branded accessories: headphones, power adaptors, and backpacks
sold in the stores and online.
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For hardware and accessories, Apple would use generally accepted
principles that are listed in part b and c, in other words if the contract
between Apple and customer exist, it would recognize upon fulfilling its
obligation to deliver product to the customer. The revenue would be
recognized when transfer of ownership is completed which is different for
Apple stores and online shopping. While purchase in the store entails
immediate transfer of ownership for goods, online shopping includes
Apple taking responsibility for shipping.
iii. iPod sold to third-party reseller in India.
Unless there is an existent contract with a third-party reseller, there would
be no difference in recognizing revenue. However, such things as timing
and tax rates will be taken into considerations.
iv. Revenue from gift cards.
According to note 1, Apple records deferred revenue with each gift card
sold, which is going to be relieved when customer redeems it.